


The Wheels on the Bus

by yourdykeinshiningarmor



Category: Mad Max Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - School, Angst, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Families of Choice, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kid Fic, Max Has A Dog, POV Max, Parent Furiosa, Parent Max, Podfic Welcome, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Secret Santa, Service Dogs, Teenagers, The Wives ship Max/Furiosa, epic amounts of eye rolling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-08 06:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5486798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourdykeinshiningarmor/pseuds/yourdykeinshiningarmor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max left his life as a big city cop after a gang war took away his family and his career. A job opening as a bus driver in an out of the way town was as good a way as any other to resettle himself. And it's nice he supposes, steady and predictable. What he doesn't count on, though, when he relocates again to the tiny town of Green Place, is to find the one thing he thought he'd lost forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Owlship](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlship/gifts).



> This is my Mad Max Secret Santa gift for owlship. You have given us so many great AUs, thought I would give one to you (and hope it is as good as yours). I really hope you like this!
> 
> I will admit to doing _minimal_ research when writing this fic, so if there are any huge errors in this, I'm sorry.

He’s hardly into the first day of school and, already, Max is done; he’s ready to leave these kids and leave this tiny town. Well, he tells himself he wants leave, but what he means is that he wants to go sulk in a corner, drink some strong black coffee, and try to forget the  _ stupid _ things kids do... like attempting handstands in the aisle while he’s moving. He isn’t sure why he thought a new school would be any different.

“Hey, Skull Shirt,” Max yells, eyes locked via mirror onto the pale boy in black shirt with a creepy skull on it. When the boy looks up, he continues. “I said sit down.” Max just sighs as the boy rolls his eyes and makes a rude gesture, but, thankfully, takes his seat again. Max learned a long time ago to pick and choose his battles.

Max pulls up to the last stop on his route, an older farmhouse at the end of a red dirt road. He was told that it was a new addition to the route this year; five kids but not much else about the charges, not that he knows anyone here anyway. When he opens the doors, he’s pleasantly surprised by who he finds there.

“Mr. Max!” a small girl exclaims and goes flying at him, arms open.

Max manages to catch the girl just in time and wraps his arms around her in an embrace. “Hmm... hi, Cheedo,” he says, a smile twisting on his lips as he pulls the girl back. He looks over her shoulder. “Nice to see you… Dag... Toast.”

The other girls climb glumly up the steps into the bus. Dag gives him the same bored look she always has, while Toast mumbles something the he thinks is supposed to be ‘morning’ but is too jumbled for him to say for sure. She never was one for mornings.

Two more girls, older, follow the trio on board. One has flaming red hair while the other is blonde, not platinum like Dag, but blonde nonetheless. He’s never seen them before, but they’re obviously in secondary so he’s not surprised. Green Place is too small to bother with two separate schools, the two level building they have now more than adequate for the student population.

“Come on, Cheedo,” says the blonde one, giving Max a death glare he’s pretty sure he doesn’t deserve. She grabs the girl’s hand and guides her to an open seat.

Max just watches them, unsure what has happened to have them here. Once they’re settled, though, he closes the door and turns the bus around, starting the return trip to school. 

The drive into town gives him time to wonder about what brought the girls here. They were part of his route at the primary school he was assigned to in Citadel, and one of the few things he was sad to leave when the school had let him go at the end of last term. He worked there two years but he can’t say he misses the place. For all that it’s a small town, things there reminded him too much of the big city and the things he left behind; things he didn't want to relive. 

Max doesn't know the specifics of their situation, but he knows it wasn’t a pleasant one. More often than not, the girls would wear the same faded hand-me-down linen dresses day after day, and while he never saw any bruises, they way they acted spoke of some kind of abuse, at least for the older ones. He was pretty sure that Dag and Toast (and the two older girls he supposes) did their best to keep Cheedo out of the worst of it. 

Max tried to tell the authorities, but without any hard evidence they couldn't intervene, and their father, Joe, held too much power over the local council. At least, there had been a kind-looking older woman standing with them in the morning and waiting for their arrival in the afternoon. He heard some of the kids whispering, afraid of her, because all her visible skin (and Max supposes the not visible parts, too) were covered in fine blue tattoos. The girls had always seemed happy to see her, so that made her good in his book. Something must have finally happened, though, because they had moved a few towns over and dressed in different, if still simple, clothes.

They’re nearly there when Max’s eyes drift up in his mirror again.

“Skull Shirt! If I have to tell you again…” 

The boy sits down but still has a crooked grin on his face and glares at Max. 

It’s going to be a long year.

***

Max stares down at the roster of names again and takes a sip of the coffee he’s found in the break room, hand idly stroking the remaining nubs of ears on Pit where she sits beside him. He grimaces at the bitter-burnt taste but swallows it down anyway.

_ Not going to find any better here _ , Max thinks. 

He glances at the yearbook the secretary had given him when he asked for pictures of the students on his route. He opens the tiny volume and sets it on the table, flipping back and forth until he’s found them all. 

“Hmmm… Slit,” Max mumbles to Pit, looking at the picture of Skull Shirt. He knows the last name but doesn't know if there is any relation to the last person, a War Boy, he met with that name, but he has his suspicions. “Problem,” he adds as he looks down at the blue-gray pitbull leaning against his thigh. Pit puts her head on Max’s knee (the good one) and stares at him. He thinks she always looks worried about him, but, then again, she has good reason. Max used to be just a few sharp noises away from a panic attack or plagued with visions of those he lost. He’s better now with Pit, the worse of it now contained within his dreams, and her calming presence keeping even those few and far between now.

The alarm on Max’s watch goes off and he grudgingly gets up. He leaves the book, not wanting to deal with the chatty woman again, and heads out to the bus. It’s a rickety old thing, probably older than him by half, but it runs and that’s what matters. Really, with a bit of love, it would be a nice machine. It’s the oldest, by far, of the four buses, but the tiny school in Green Place has barely enough money to run, let alone buy a whole new fleet of buses. He’d mentioned in his interview that he knows mechanics and they’d given him this bus on the (not so) off chance that if it broke down, he could probably fix it.

_ Unlike the three other drivers that probably  _ rode _ on this bus to school, assuming they had buses back in the Cretaceous _ . Max chuckles to himself at the thought.

Max’s spent the last week tweaking things on it, managing to get it running marginally better, but has a few more things to work on before the afternoon run. He knows it needs a major overhaul, but baby steps. Things only move so fast in a small town.

When it’s time to take the kids home, Pit climbs onto the bus and settles into the small bed he’d crammed behind his seat for her. It had taken some convincing, but once he’d made it clear that Pit wouldn’t move during the drives and Max functions better when she’s around, the school board had let him bring her along.

“Ready, girl?” Max asks as he sits in his own seat. Pit just stares back happily, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth, as Max starts up the bus.

***

It’s a very quiet ride out the dirt road to the farmhouse that afternoon with only the roar of the diesel engine and the wind to break the silence. When he drops the girls off, the oldest, Angharad he'd heard her called, ushers the younger ones off the bus quickly, throwing Max more distasteful looks as they pass. Cheedo manages to sneak in a tiny wave with her hand and Toast gives him a shrug, but no one bothers to contradict her. He supposes she means best, but he also doubts she knows how much he's already done for them.

Max shrugs to himself as he closes the door. So long as they’re in a better place now, he doesn't care if they never say another word to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Max makes it almost a month before anything major goes wrong with the bus. He pulls the jerking, halting mass of metal into the school parking lot and drops off all the kids, the rough idling he's gotten used to, suddenly much worse.

“Ace!” Max calls out his window to the school's groundskeeper and general handyman as he walks by. He waits for the crotchety old man to hobble over before continuing. “Spark plugs bad. Gotta fix it today. Sorry.”

Ace just grunts, whether in disapproval or not, Max doesn't know. He's supposed to help him lay some irrigation lines today but those’ll have to wait. Max watches as Ace turns an ear towards the engine and listens.

“Timing belt’s a little off,” Ace says as he turns back to Max.

“Mmmhmm… teeth worn down. On the list.”

Ace grunts again. “Go see Furiosa. She'll have what you need. We'll do the pipes tomorrow.” He turns and walks away without waiting for a reply.

Max nods to no one, watching Ace’s retreating form. He is one of the few old men around here that Max would  _ not _ want to get on the wrong side of; he looks gnarled and slightly misshapen (from what, Max doesn't know) but he's all the more tenacious for it.

He slips the bus back into gear and pulls around to the garages. He's got a lot of work to do before the afternoon run.

***

Max parks in front of the store and looks up at the derelict sign. It's obviously seen better days, but the ‘Furiosa Parts and Mechanic’ is still clear enough. He gets out of his beat up Interceptor (it's seen better days, too, he notes) and heads inside, going straight for the counter. There are rows and rows of parts, and while he knows his way around a car, someone else's store is a different story. If he didn't have a half torn apart engine and kids to drop off in a few hours, he might look around, but he also has no problem asking for help.

“What can I do for you today?” calls a voice from behind the counter.

Max looks up a sees a woman about his age emerge from the work bay wiping her hands on a dirty rag. Her shirt has ‘Furiosa’ embroidered on the left chest pocket, so he assumes this is the owner. Max unceremoniously drops a spark plug on the counter. 

“Need two,” he says, voice more gruff than he intends, but his interpersonal skills aren't the greatest, especially with strangers. That was always Goose’s job, playing good cop. Max would stand a few paces away, looking annoyed and bitter, and let Goose work his magic.

Furiosa nods and picks up the part, looking it over. She ignores his rudeness, either hiding that it annoys her or just not caring. He thinks the latter.

Max takes the opportunity to give her a quick onceover, noting immediately the metal half-arm. He’s impressed. The amount of dexterity she has is evident as she turns the spark plug over, and he wouldn't be surprised to learn that she made it herself; it certainly looks custom, if nothing else. He subconsciously notes the particulars of her (some things never change no matter how long he’s been away from the force); she’s about his height with short-cropped dirty blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a thin but muscular build that suggests a history of hard work. Her base accent is American, but he can hear the hints of Australian pronunciation in her words so she’s been here a long while.

“Two you said?” She looks up, but only hears Max makes a noise deep in his throat. “This way.” 

Furiosa steps out from behind the counter and meanders down one of the isles to the back of the store. Her eyes flit over the rows of neat cubby-holed bins.

“Not seen you before. You new around here?” She opens a drawer to look in at its contents.

Max just grunts.

Furiosa peeks over her shoulder at him and sees him give a tiny nod.

“What are you fixing, anyway?” She opens another and rifles through it. “These don’t go to that Interceptor out there?” 

“Bus,” Max croaks as he shifts from one foot to another. He feels himself get antsier the longer this Furiosa tries to make a conversation with him. He watches as she grabs out a couple more plugs.

“Ah-ha!” Furiosa spins to face him, the needed items in hand. “School bus? You don't mean The Rattle Rig, do you?”

Max narrows his eyes. “Yes,” Max says, drawing out the word. He’s never heard that name used before but can’t see it applying to any of the other buses.

Furiosa just laughs as she walks back to the counter. “I keep telling Ace that he needs to trash that thing, but he’s never been one to waste. If it runs, he’ll use it.” Furiosa puts the spark plugs in a bag and hands them to Max.

“Could be nice,” Max says as he takes the bag. He isn’t sure how he feels about her and her dislike of the old bus. It’s only been ‘his’ for a couple of months but he already feels attached and a need to defend it. “Just crusty.”

Furiosa tilts her head at Max, giving him appraising look and nods. “I’m always game for projects, that one is just beyond my attention span. More power to ya, though, for trying.”

“How much?” Max asks, reaching for his wallet and ignoring the comment. She seems jovial enough, so maybe she’s not that bad.

Furiosa gives him a friendly smile, as if reading Max’s thoughts. “Today, it’s on the house. Tell Ace I said no charge for his Fool that wants to fix up that old clunker.”

“Mmm, thanks.” Max says, not offering his actual name, as he gives her an awkward nod and leaves before she can say anything else.

When Max gets back to the school, he tells Ace what Furiosa said. Max can’t help but chuckle to himself at the way Ace rolls his eyes and walks away, muttering under his breath the entire time.

***

It’s two-thirds of the way through term and the kids have a half day on Friday, so Max decides to finally do some of the bigger repairs on the bus, knowing that he has the whole weekend to fix things if it ends up being more intensive than he thinks. Ace has finally given him the okay to start bringing the bus up to modern times and not just patching things up as they break. Sure, he’s going to put a decent amount of money into it, but it’ll still be less than buying a new one or even a used one in good condition; it’s about using resources and using them wisely. Ace has set a budget though, so Max will have to be a little creative to stay within it, but he doesn't think that’ll be a problem; he’s pretty good at figuring out what’s salvageable and what’s not, after all.

The bell tinkles as Max enters Furiosa’s shop and he heads for the counter. He’s been here enough times now that he can find his own way around, but finds that he  _ wants _ to interact with Furiosa (even if he still doesn’t say much) and finds any excuse to do so. He’ll never admit it, but he kind of likes her, and that’s something new and quite unexpected. It’s a feeling he never thought he’d experience again. Not that he would do anything normal like ask her out for coffee or dinner. No. He’d rather just shuffle awkwardly while she looks at him and grunts one-word answers to her questions.

“What do you need, Fool?” Furiosa calls through the open door.

Max peers over the counter and sees her boots sticking out from under the front of a truck. “Parts.”

“Bus or Interceptor?” Furiosa asks having learned that yes/no and either/or questions worked best with Max.

Max sighs. She keeps hoping he’ll start fixing the Interceptor up, but it runs and he’s already immersed in getting the bus back to this century.

“Bus.”

“Take what you—” Furiosa pauses and grunts with effort. “Need. Just leave me a list and I’ll bill Ace.”

Max just grunts. He meanders through the aisles, putting the necessary parts into the bags he’s grabbed from behind the counter, and writes the individual part numbers on the list he’s brought to leave for Furiosa. He’s just writing the last bit when he hears her call again.

“Fool? You still there?”

“Yes,” Max says as he takes a step into the repair bay.

“Can you hand me the six millimeter ratchet? Box is next to the door.”

Max turns around, finds the tool in question, and walks over to the truck. She doesn't roll out so he bends down near her head and peeks underneath. He’s never seen her when she’s actually working and he’s not quite ready for the sight. Furiosa’s covered in dirt and grease, hands a dark grey and a big smudge of black covering her forehead where she must have wiped away sweat. To most people, the sight wouldn't evoke much feeling, besides maybe the need for a shower, but Max feels his stomach attempt gymnastics instead.

“Thanks,” Furiosa says, holding out her flesh hand for the ratchet, a big grin on her face.

Max coughs and hands it over, realizing too late that he’s been staring like some of the teenagers he shuttles around.

“You know,” Furiosa starts as she tightens the nut, “if you ever need a space to work on the Interceptor or an extra set of hands,” she pauses again and gives one more hard twist before letting both arms fall to the ground.

Max realizes then that her metal arm has been propped on the creeper and was holding up whatever she’s working on.

Furiosa slides out then and stands, pulling a rag from her back pocket and smearing the grease around her fingers. “Bay Three is always open.”

Max clumsily rises, his bum knee protesting but Max is much too distracted to care and is lost to the warm feeling in his belly. Furiosa’s shirt clings awkwardly to her sweaty body, but it only serves to accentuate her femininity, while the after effects of mechanic work are decidedly not feminine; Max finds that it only makes her lovelier than before. He manages to push some sort of noise out of his throat and Furiosa gives him an amused smile. 

“Well since you're still here, let's get you an invoice.” She shoves the dirty rag back into her pocket and walks inside.

Max obediently follows her back into the shop like a little lost puppy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to wish everyone who celebrates it a Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you have/had a Happy Holiday of your choosing. And if no holidays, may you have a Happy New Year :) I'm definitely grateful for all you out there who read, like, and comment on my works!

Max is right that the girls don’t speak to him anymore, but he manages to give them nods and smiles now and then. He finds, though, that if he does it too often, Angharad graces him with one of her glares. He doesn't miss the way Cheedo looks a little sad when he ignores her or the roll of the eyes when Angharad pushes Dag and Toast forward with more force than is needed. He’s still just happy that they are doing much better than they were before.

Max offers Pit a bowl of water before the bus sets out to take the kids home for the Easter holiday. As she eagerly drinks, Max wets down his neckerchief and sighs as the cool fabric hits the flushed skin of his neck. There’s been an unusual heat wave hitting Green Place for the last week, and today is supposed to be the worst at nearly forty degrees.

The first wave of kids climbs aboard and Max sets off. One of the other buses broke down last week, so Max has to do two runs with the bus to help get all the kids home. He takes the smaller run of the temporary kids first before swinging back to pick up his normal charges. By the time they get on the bus, they’re already anxious to be home and really start their holiday; Max can’t blame them.

Max is making good time, the few kids who were picked up by their parents making his route that much shorter, but all the extra driving, in combination with the heat, is doing a number on the bus. He’s just down to the girls when he hears a loud bang that reverberates through the bus. Max reflexively reaches for a gun that isn’t there before he registers that his field of vision is now blocked with wispy clouds and he can hear steam hissing from a blown radiator. Pit nudges his hand where it rests on his belt, reminding him of where he is, and Max shakes his head to clear it.

“Hmmm,” Max frowns at the window before looking up at the girls, not liking the looks of worry etched on all their faces. “S’alright.”

“What is it? What’s happening?” demands Angharad, rising from her seat and walking to the front of the bus.

It’s not lost on Max that she is putting herself between him and them. Max stands and opens the door, keeping his movements slow and obvious. Angharad freezes and Max sees her clutch tighter to the strap of pack, obviously ready to use it if needed. He doesn't want to think about what has caused her to act like this. He stops, too, and points behind him to the smoke.

“Radiator’s blown. Gonna check it.” He turns towards the door then pauses. “You can come if you want. Gonna get hot in here.”

Angharad eyes him but stands her ground.

Max shrugs and walks out the door. He goes to the front of the bus and takes a quick peek. He doesn’t even need to pop the bonnet to see that it’s bad; the giant muddy pool below tells him that he’s not going anywhere for a while. He groans and looks ahead down the road. He can see their house in the distance, maybe a mile or so down the way. He checks his phone and isn’t surprised to see he has no signal out here. He goes over the options in his head before turning back to the bus.

“Get your stuff,” he says to the girls as he picks up the radio. “Ace, you there?”

“Go ahead,” comes the gruff voice half a minute later.

“Radiator’s busted. Almost to the last house. Going to walk them there. Over.”

“Bollocks. Ok, but got no one to send for you right now. Over.”

“No need. Think I can patch her up enough and drive her back once it’s cooled down. Over.”

“Right. Call again if you need something. Over.”

“Gotcha. Over and out.” Max hangs the mouthpiece back on the hook. When he faces the girls, he’s surprised to see no one has moved. “Come on, gotta get you home.”

Angharad sneers. “We’re not going anywhere alone with you.”

“Angharad,” Capable says, putting a hand on her sister’s arm. “He’s just taking us home. Like he does every day.”

“On a bus is different than out in the open away from everything,” Angharad spits, causing Capable to finch. “We are not things,” she adds through her teeth.

“I _know_ that,” Capable bites back, “and I think _he_ knows that, too.”

In the midst of their argument, Max sees the three younger ones roll their eyes. He laughs to himself when they all push past Capable and Angharad, any attempts at stopping them unsuccessful.

“Cheedo, Dag, and Toast! Come back here this very in—”

“We’re going home,” Toast announces, cutting off a livid Angharad. “Stay here and roast if you want. We’ll send Momiosa for you.” Without another word, the trio walks off the bus.

Max looks up towards Angharad and Capable, and he just shrugs. “Not gonna argue.” He doesn't say with whom, though.

“I’m going, too,” Capable says. She hesitates for just a second then grabs her bag and walks past Max to wait with the other girls.

“Hmmm?” Max hums his question, gesturing towards the door.

Angharad just glares at him but stomps past.

“Come on, Pit,” Max says, patting his leg as he steps off. She walks politely behind him, obviously excited by the girls but too well trained to just go over.

Max walks over to one of the storage bays and opens it up, grabbing two of the gallon drinking water jugs he keeps there. He pours a bowl-full for Pit before turning back to the girls.

“Drink up, as much as you can.” He hands the new jug over to Capable. Max takes several long pulls on the open one before filling his bottle and stashing it in his bag. He’s happy to see them doing the same. “Ready?” he asks after a few minutes.

They all nod and Max locks up the bus. He gestures for the girls to start, but, at Angharad’s hard stare, he just rolls his eyes and walks past the girls. He hears them behind him, walking and whispering, but makes no show of slowing for them or waiting. He keeps a good pace up, not wanting to take too long, but also going slow enough that the younger ones won’t tire too easily. They’ve only been walking for a few minutes when he hears a commotion behind him.

“Cheedo! No!” Angharad yells.

Max looks over his shoulder to see Cheedo pulling out of Angharad’s grip and jog up to Max, slipping her hand into his and continuing to walk. He looks to Angharad (who is doing nothing to hide her displeasure at the situation) and shrugs. If it keeps them moving, he’s game for anything.

A few minutes later, ‘anything’ first becomes holding Cheedo’s Hello Kitty backpack while she collects a handful of wildflowers (after Toast declared it safe) and distributes them to all the girls, including placing two in Pit’s collar, before they can resume walking. Then a few minutes later, Cheedo asks for Max to carry her.

“No, Cheedo,” Angharad speaks up, “you can walk. You’re too—”

“S’right,” Max interrupts. He slings Cheedo’s backpack over top of his and reaches down to pick up the girl. Cheedo lets out a squeal of delight as Max swings her up and over his head and settles her on his shoulders. “Move faster this way.”

Angharad lets out a sigh but says nothing.

The group continues on, now with fewer interruptions. Cheedo remains silent for most of the journey, quietly doing what Max isn't sure with the flowers in her hands. Max can just make out details of the house ahead when Cheedo finally speaks again.

“Do boys like flowers, Mr. Max?” she asks.

Max tilts his head in thought, as much as he can with Cheedo sitting on his shoulders. “Mmm, some do.”

“Do _you_ like flowers, Mr. Max?” she whispers hesitantly.

Max feels the corner of his mouth twitch up. “I do.”

“Would you like a flower, Mr. Max?”

“Cheedo leave him alone,” Angharad pleads. “He doesn’t need you pestering him.”

Max slows so he’s walking even with the girls. “S’fine,” he says with a half-smile. “S’cute.” Max swears he can feel Cheedo grinning with delight above him. He feels a stem first slip behind one ear, then the other.

“There!” Cheedo announces. “Now you’re cute, too!”

“Boys aren't cute, Cheedo,” Dag says, exasperated. “They’re handsome!”

Max looks incredulous. “Boys can be cute!” he grumbles.

Toast starts snickering. “If anyone is going to be cute, Mr. Max, it’s you right now.”

Max quirks his head at her, then it dawns on him; he’s got flowers behind his ears and a pretty pink Hello Kitty backpack on. He shrugs. “Nothing wrong with being cute.” He throws Toast and Dag a smile.

Toast just rolls her eyes at him.

They’re almost to the house, but Cheedo isn't done with her game of Twenty Questions.

“Why does Pit only have three legs?”

Max can feel her leaning out just a tiny bit to look at the pup bouncing along at his heels. He thinks about it for a moment; he doesn't want to scare the girl, but he also doesn't believe in coddling kids against the horrors of the world. He thinks hard before responding, choosing his words with care.

“Some mean people let other dogs attack her then chained her up without taking her to the vet,” he starts. After another moment he continues, “I found her and took her away from the bad man. Went to the vet, but it was too late for the leg already, so they took it off.”

They both glance down at the dog. The attacking dogs had done much worse than mangle a leg, the scars all over Pit’s body attest to that, but Max doesn't feel the need to elaborate.

“Doesn't seem to miss it, though,” Max adds. “Gets along just fine without it.”

“Like Momiosa!” Cheedo exclaims.

Max just frowns at that. He doesn’t know anything about ‘Momiosa’, although, he does know one person in town with a partially missing limb…

“What about Momiosa?” calls a familiar voice from ahead.

Max startles, looking up to see Furiosa maybe twenty feet away. He was so absorbed in the conversation about Pit that he doesn't realize they’re almost to house. Max has never thought about _who_ is in charge of the girls but knows, if asked, that he wouldn't have put Furiosa on the list. Not because he thought she couldn't be a good parent, but because he’d never thought of her as one, never heard her talk about the girls.

“Momiosa!” the girl screams in delight.

Max flinches at the shrill tone so close to his ears and, when Cheedo starts to squirm, Max lifts her off his shoulders and the girl races off to meet Furiosa. Cheedo slams into her side and wraps her arms around Furiosa’s hips in a hug.

“What's like me?” Furiosa asks as she wraps an arm around Cheedo.

“Mr. Max’s dog!” Cheedo exclaims in delight.

Max cringes at Cheedo comparing Furiosa to his dog, despite knowing that she doesn't intend for it to be a negative thing. It's what he loves about kids, their simple honesty, but most adults have forgotten about it and don't appreciate it. Max watches as Cheedo pulls away from Furiosa and goes to the ground between them (where Pit has decided to flop down in the most pathetic manner), rubbing the dog’s belly.

“She's missing a leg like you're missing your arm, but it doesn't stop her from doing stuff, just like you!” Cheedo looks up at Furiosa with a happy grin on her face, proud that she's made the observation.

Furiosa smiles back at Cheedo and flicks her gaze up to Max briefly, the corners of her eyes crinkled in mirth. “You're right, sweetie. Not having part of you doesn't mean you can't do stuff.”

One of the other girls lets out a large sigh from behind them.

“Yes and hello to you, too,” Furiosa starts, looking to the older girls. “My day was great, thanks for asking. And yes, dinner is almost ready so you can go inside and get cleaned up. No, I'm fine, I don't need any more help but thanks for the offer.”

Max has to stifle his laughter at the level of teenage eye rolling that happens from all the older girls at Furiosa’s one-sided monologue. Still, Dag and Toast give her quick hug as they pass and Capable gets a playful cuff to the back of her head. Angharad gives Furiosa another eye roll that's met with a smile. It’s more than obvious that the girls adore Furiosa and that she cares for them as well.

“Come on, Cheedo,” Capable says, ruffling the girl’s hair as she passes.

The girl huffs out her disappointment at leaving Pit, but doesn't argue as she heads inside.

“Good kids,” Max says as the last of them disappears through the door.

Furiosa nods as she turns to face the house. “You should stay for dinner. Least I can do for bringing the girls home.”

“S’my job,” Max replies. The chuckle that leaves Furiosa finally draws his eyes to her.

“You're job is drive them home on the school bus, not walk them a mile and half down the road.”

Max shrugs. “Couldn't leave ‘um.”

“Nor does it involve shoulder rides and floral accoutrements.”

Max frowns for a moment before remembering the flowers tucked behind his ears. He feels a touch of heat flash across his cheeks.

“It's a good look on you, by the way,” Furiosa says as she pauses outside the front door.

Max notices all of a sudden that Furiosa has led him to the door without his realizing it. He frowns.

“It's cute.” Furiosa gives Max a half smile that he almost wants to call impish.

“Boys can be cute,” Max mutters, repeating his declaration from earlier.

Furiosa looks down her feet and, for the first time in the few months he's known her looks a little unsure.

“I know they can be.” She glances up through her eyelashes at Max and can't stop or hide the flush that creeps across her cheeks.

Max’s eyebrows press even closer together and he purses his lips at the realization that Furiosa is interested in him the same way he is in her. It's been so long since someone _didn't_ just write him off as weird or crazy that he doesn't quite know what to do with the information. Furiosa’s laugh pulls him out of his mind.

“Just come inside, _Max_ ,” she says, finally using his newly discovered name, as she reaches out to take Cheedo’s bag. She heads towards the door, but pauses before going inside. “Besides, I already told Ace I would get you home after the girls were settled. Be silly of you to sit on the porch until then.” She gives him smile and a wink, confidence back in full force.

Max just shakes his head but finds himself following her inside, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

“Mmm… slow now,” Max says to Toast as she eases up on the clutch and pushes down on the gas. She _finally_ gets it into gear without stalling and lets out a big whoop, spinning in her seat and letting off the gas. Max can't help but chuckle. “Pay attention or you won't keep moving.”

Toast grins from ear to ear but faces forward. They drive through one of the old pastures behind Furiosa’s for the better part of an hour, and Toast even manages to get the old beat up truck into second gear.

“Can I try for third?” Toast asks, excitement at both the success and speed she is going more than evident.

“Mmm, not today. Seat belt.” Max points down to where Toast is hovering on the edge of the seat, barely able to reach the peddles. It was bad enough that he let her try without wearing it and shifting to second had only happened because she was _so_ excited at getting into first.

“Ahhhh,” Toast says in disappointment but she doesn't complain.

They drive for a little while longer, practicing stopping, starting, and changing gears until the light begins to fade and Toast starts to get cold from the truck’s lack of heat. Max switches with Toast and he takes them back to the house much faster than Toast could (and perhaps a bit more reckless), only slowing once the glowing lights of the porch are visible. Max gives her a look as they park the truck in the shed that says to keep that last bit quiet. They make it as far as the backdoor before Toast sprints off to find the girls and hears the telltale ‘guess what Max did!’ from the other room.

“Do I even want to know?” asks Furiosa as Max steps into the kitchen.

“Mmm,” Max replies as he shrugs.

Furiosa looks out the corner of her eye at him as she drains the pasta in the sink and glares.

Max just chuckles.

“Here,” Furiosa says, handing him the oven mitts and gesturing at the oven. “Make yourself useful.”

Max takes the mitts and goes to retrieve the bread. “Got to second,” he says as he opens the door.

Furiosa nods with a bit of a smile on her face. Toast has been begging one of them to teach her to drive for _ages_. Max finally gave in and convinced Furiosa to let her try.

“I may have gotten carried away on the way back.” Max sets the pan on the stovetop and starts depositing the bread in a basket.

Furiosa’s smile turns to another glare and Max throws his hands up.

“What?”

Furiosa rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

Max grabs the basket and walks towards Furiosa. He presses his lips to her temple as he reaches down for the bowl of pasta. “Sorry, just having a bit of fun,” he whispers against her skin.

Without thinking, Furiosa leans into him and shrugs. “No, it’s fine. Just worried.”

Max hums an agreement; he’s worried too. Capable is out on a date with the boy from her class named Nux that Max found out is the younger brother of Slit. Nux seems like a good enough kid, but Max was never able to find out if they had any relation to War Boy Max knew years ago. Max hasn't shared this with Furiosa seeing that she's already worried enough about the girls just _going_ on a date. Angharad had agreed to tag along with a girl she’s been interested in, Valkyrie Max thinks her name is, and the idea of a double date seemed to placate Furiosa a bit.

“Let’s eat,” Max eventually says, pulling them out of their thoughts.

Furiosa nods and walks to the fridge to grab the milk for the girls. “Let’s eat!” she calls down the hall towards the bedroom as she follows Max out to the table. They both smile at the giggles and stampede of feet that follow.

***

Max can hear Furiosa in the other room as she gets the girls ready for bed, and he ignores the little pang of sorrow in his chest. Nothing to do for it now. The day had gone so well, he’d rather not ruin their evening by being in a mood. The girls had insisted on watching _Finding Nemo_ for the eighty-seventh time, and they couldn't say no. Max is also pretty sure he never wants to hear the phrase ‘P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney’ ever again. He flips through the available movie choices before finding one he thinks they'll both like.

“Of course you picked this one,” Furiosa says with humor as she flops down next to Max.

“S’good,” Max answers with an indignant shrug. He doesn't know why she’s complaining. It has cars and chases and epic battle scenes and more cars; everything the two of them like. Even though she’s changed into her pajamas and left her arm off, Max can still see the tension that’s coursing through her, her unease just as strong now as it was before dinner.

Furiosa huffs a laugh and settles in next to him. They sit in silence, watching the movie, and Max can’t help but reminisce about the last few months.

He’s over almost every weekend now, bringing the girls home after school on Friday and staying until Monday morning when they all go back to school. He hadn’t meant to start sleeping over; it had just kinda happened. Max would stay for dinner and a movie with everyone on Fridays, and one time, after an incredibly busy week for both of them, they had fallen asleep together on the couch. They were taking things slow, as much for them as for the girls, but Furiosa’s head had dipped to Max shoulder and she’d slouched into him. Max had woken up early in the morning to find Furiosa curled around him and Toast’s Hot Wheels blanket tossed over them. Max had tried to slip out from under her, not wanting to impose, but only succeeded in waking Furiosa up. She’d stretched and lifted herself reluctantly off the couch. Max made to leave but she’d grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bedroom. He resisted, but only to be sure she was awake enough to know what she was asking before he gave in. They’d climbed into bed and had almost instantly fallen back asleep, Max wrapped pleasantly around Furiosa. They woke up later that morning when Cheedo came running into the room squealing, jumped full force on the bed, and landed between them, begging for pancakes. Cheedo didn't seem bothered by the fact that Max was in Furiosa’s bed and if the giggled, quiet comments from the other girls were any indication, none of them cared either. At one point, Capable had whispered something into Furiosa’s ear causing her to flush and playfully push the laughing girl away. Max never asked what she said and he had a feeling he didn't want to know. Since then, he and Pit spent every weekend here that they weren't needed in town to work on something for the school.

Max comes back to himself as Furiosa shifts for the fifth time, unable to relax and get comfortable; Max knows just what she needs to let go a little. He sits up and gently pulls Furiosa onto the floor between his legs. She gives him a questioning glance but follows obediently. Max pushes her head forward a bit until she’s just where he wants her. When Max’s fingers press into the skin at the nape of her neck, Furiosa lets out a groan and lets her head drop fully. Max lets out a hum of approval and keeps working on her.

“Fuck, Max,” Furiosa says when he stops briefly to readjust himself. She looks up at him and gives him a half-smile.

“Mmm, not done yet.” Max pushes her head down again and gets back to work, relishing the noises he’s pulling from her. Neither is aware of the time passing.

“Momiosa?” Cheedo asks, rubbing the sleep from eyes.

Both Furiosa’s and Max’s heads snap up towards the doorway.

“Can I have some water?” Cheedo finishes. She looks back and forth between Furiosa and Max.

“Ya, sweetie,” Furiosa says.

Max’s hands fall from they’re massaging Furiosa and she stands. He watches as she rolls her shoulders and relishes how much better she obviously feels now that he’s worked out some the knots. Max knows that the straps of her prosthetic do a decent job spreading out the weight but she still gets stiff from it, especially when she is already stressed about something else like Capable and Angharad being out.

Furiosa gets Cheedo settled back into bed and joins Max on the couch again. He gestures to the floor again but she shakes her head, curls back into him, and they return their attention to what’s left of the movie. Later that night when Capable and Angharad come in a few minutes before curfew. Max doesn’t miss the sigh that leaves Furiosa at hearing the girls in the entryway. He shifts, pulling her closer to him, and presses a kiss to the top her head. She lets out another sigh and wraps herself tighter around him.


	5. Chapter 5

It’s early Saturday morning and the two of them are enjoying the quiet before the storm, as it were, before the girls wake up. They don’t get these moments often, especially with the days lengthening from spring to summer, as Cheedo likes to be up with the sun. Max is at Furiosa’s more often than not these days, even during the week, and they relish the days when she sleeps in.

Max’s hand is idly stroking Furiosa’s back. He knows she’s awake but neither has said anything yet. Max finds his mind drifting off to how well things have been going and tamps down the little doubting beast that likes to rear its head up at times like this. He’s allowed to have happy, carefree moments. His first year at the school is almost over and he’s survived, the Rattle Rig has been redubbed the War Rig by the students who ride it (once Max and Furiosa had finished with its upgrades and embellishments, much to the chagrin of the school), and he hasn’t had a nightmare in almost three months. Even Angharad has finally started coming around to him, and while they still aren't best buds, he can at least get a tiny smile out of her every now and then.

It’s times like this that they end up discussing the Important Things, things that need both their attentions, without the input or distraction of the girls. The last time they had a morning like this, Max had brought up whether or not to get married. They’d half joked, half talked about it before but this time was The Conversation. Neither one much cared for the institution, but it certainly made things easier sometimes, and they both acknowledged that they were in this for the long haul. Max had alluded to his being previously married but didn't go into detail about it, the bad memories more than obvious when his hands began to tremble. The conversation had died off after that without either one getting resolution on the subject.

This time, it’s Furiosa that finally breaks the silence.

“Got the letter,” Furiosa says from where her head is resting on Max’s chest.

Max gives Furiosa a hum in answer and continues to ignore the wee beasty in his brain. They’ve had this conversation several times before, too, about Furiosa adopting the girls once she gets the ok. While she never said it out loud, it’s been implied that Max could adopt them too, if he wanted. Furiosa had told him a few weeks ago that she’d submitted her application. Joe had been declared unfit for parenting and none of their mothers were around anymore for one reason or another. Max had never clarified if he was included, equally afraid at both a yes or no answer. He adores the girls and already does a parent’s share of caring for them, but he isn’t sure about having them legally attached to him. It’s childish he knows, but he can’t shake the panic he feels when he thinks about.

“Told them all the other night that I got the ok to adopt them,” Furiosa adds.

“Mmm.” Max can’t help a smile knowing how happy the girls must have been. Furiosa had broached the subject with them all before applying and the girls had all been equally enthusiastic about having Furiosa being their forever-mom.

“Cheedo asked if that meant you’d be her daddy,” Furiosa whispers, her voice uncertain.

Out of all the girls, Cheedo had clearly been the first to get attached to Max, always the first to greet him and share her good news. It’s progressed to the point even of preferring him to Furiosa when she’s upset or hurt, often crying out that she wants Max when he’s not around.

Max tenses, ignoring the now laughing beast in his brain; the shift isn’t lost on Furiosa. She continues anyway, still looking away from Max, finding the conversation easier when they can’t actually see each other’s face.

“I told her I’d have to ask you about it. Told her you care about her but didn't know if you want to be a dad or not.”

The waiver in Furiosa’s voice tugs at Max’s heartstrings. He’s never told her the details of his past and she’s never asked. Beyond admitting that he’s been married before, he’s only alluded to the fact that he had a big loss and left everything behind. If she is ever going to know, now is probably a good time. Max takes a big breath.

“I was a cop, before” Max starts, voice low and course. “Family, too.” Max pauses as an unexpected wave of emotion washes over him. He feels Furiosa’s arm tighten ever so slightly. He’s glad she remains silent, not because he doesn't want to talk to her, but because he isn't sure he could do this if she started to ask questions. It takes several tries before Max is able to push the rest out, choppy and stilted.

“Turf war one day... Toecutters, War Boys... I wasn't even on patrol… wrong place, wrong time.” Max stops again and takes a big breath. “Gun fight started. Got shot in the knee… my wife and sprog were...” Max breath hitches, “were... run over... trying to… to get back to me.”

The minutes tick by as Max relives the day in his head. Pit shifts from her place on the floor and climbs carefully on the bed. She settles facing Furiosa with her head on Max’s belly and his hand finds her head, rubbing the base of her ears to sooth himself and keep the demons at bay.

“He died,” Max eventually grits out, voice rough. “Before I could get to him. She died a week later from her injuries.” Max takes a deep breath, exhausted for not having done anything, but surprised to feel a big weight come off his chest. “Doctors said I would be stuck at desk. Left the next day and never looked back.”

Furiosa squeezes him tighter.

Max chews over his next words, not sure how to say what he is feeling but needing to get it out all the same.

“I don't know if... if I’m... ready, for that again,” Max says, fumbling over the words. “I care about you, all of you, but I don't know if I’m ready… for that.”

Furiosa nods against him. Pit nudges Furiosa’s hand with her nose and she reaches out to pet the dog. They can both hear the girls starting to rouse in the other room.

“I understand,” Furiosa eventually says, voice a bit raw even though she hasn’t said anything.

Despite the lightness in chest at finally getting his past out, he feels his heart break at the sound of her voice. He knows that, technically, this doesn’t _need_ to change anything, that they can just go on as they have been, but he also _knows_ this is something that’s a big deal, something that is important to the two of them, important to all _seven_ of them. Furiosa won’t push him to answer or decide, but he also knows that she won’t wait for him, either. From the kitchen, they can hear Cheedo getting out the bowls and rummaging in the pantry for pancake ingredients.

Furiosa places a kiss to the center of chest and rises, not looking back at Max. He sees her hand swipe at her cheek but says nothing. He watches as she tugs on her sweats and heads towards the door.

“Gonna go help Cheedo,” she says, pausing at the door. She wavers for a second before deciding to head out and closes the door behind her.

When Max emerges some ten minutes later, he’s met with glares and silence. He has his pack on and keys in his hand. He knows Furiosa won't say anything, but the girls are too perceptive and know something is off.

“Mmm, needed at the school,” Max says. It’s happened before, him getting called to help Ace with something, but this time it’s a lie. He needs some time to process this and he thinks Furiosa needs it, too. He can tell no one buys it, but neither do they call him on it.

Max walks across the room and places a hesitant kiss on Furiosa’s cheek. “See ya later,” he says and gives her a sad half-smile.

Furiosa glances at him and nods, eyes just as sad as his smile.

He’s almost to the door when he hears the scramble of feet and Cheedo is wrapped around his waist, face buried in his jacket.

“I love you, Max,” Cheedo whispers.

Max runs his hands through her hair, tears burning at the corners of his eyes. He gives her a squeeze before walking out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Max rubs his face with his hands as kids get onto the bus, urging his mind to wakefulness. He hasn’t slept well since Saturday and he’s already paying for it. He closes the door and gulps his coffee, wincing as the beverage scalds his throat. He isn't looking forward to the next stop.

It’s no surprise that his greeting is only slightly warmer than Antarctica, and that is really only because Angharad gives him a glare he hasn't seen since the first term. He watches in the mirror as they take a seat as far from him as they can. Once they’re seated, he lets out a sigh and heads back to town. He knows he’s messed up, but he doesn't know if he can fix it.

***

The rest of the week is much the same: sad looks, angry glares, and barely avoided tears. Max’s nightmares have returned in full force, but with the occasional addition of one of the girls to the scenario. The worst version thus far is when he finally gets to where Sprog is lying dead in the street, he finds an equally dead Cheedo over top of Sprog in a futile attempt to save him.

Noises start to bother Max again, too, and he dissolves into a jittery mess. Everything from sharp pops and bangs to the subtle rustling of the leaves in the evening breeze seem to trigger him but without any sort of predictability. Pit hasn’t been more than a few feet away from him since he left Furiosa’s, the panic within him simmering constantly just below the surface, and he doubts he could function at all if he didn't have her. By the time the weekend hits, he’s exhausted with the effort of maintaining control during the day and the lack of sleep at night. He sleeps fitfully for most of the weekend and, before he knows it, it’s time for work again.

Max looks at himself in the mirror as he gets ready Monday morning: dark circles, hollowed out cheeks, and eyes that can scarcely stay still let alone hold a gaze. He knows he’s slipping backwards, the PTSD regaining control on his life, but he’s afraid of moving forward, terrified that it will happen again. He doesn't think he could survive a repeat.

The cold water he splashes on his face gives him a jolt of wakefulness. He dries off and avoids catching his reflection in the mirror again. Max grabs an apple (that he probably won’t eat) on his way through the kitchen and limps out the door. Despite the lack of current injury, his bad knee throbs, day in and day out.

 _Just a few more weeks left until summer break_ , he thinks. He can do this.

***

Max isn’t sure if he is relieved or not that he doesn't need to pick up the girls. There had been a note on his bus from Ace that the girls wouldn't need a ride for the rest of term. His route is significantly shorter without the trip out there, but he finds himself mourning the loss nonetheless. In some respects, his panic lessens while awake since he isn't (dreading) seeing them, but it does little to relieve his nightmares. If anything, they worsen since he doesn't have the twice-daily confirmation of their safety.

Toast finds him at lunch on Thursday, hiding behind his cabin at the back of the school property.

“Max?” she calls from afar, not wanting to startle him.

Max still jumps but keeps himself from lashing out. He feels Pit lean into him and nose at his hand. He takes a deep breath. “Hey, Toast.”

“Cheedo wanted to give you this.” Toast walks closer and leans in to hand him a folded piece of paper.

Max takes it from her and opens it up. Inside is a crayon drawing of the seven of them. The girls are in the middle and they are flanked by Furiosa on one side and Max on the other. Everyone is holding hands and obviously happy. It’s not lost on Max that Cheedo has placed herself next to him. He feels his eyes burn as his vision gets blurry.

“She wanted to give it to you, but I told her you needed some space. Angharad would be pissed to know we saw you and I know she wouldn't be able to keep this quiet so I stole it from her this morning.” Toast shuffles around on her feet. “She doesn't understand. None of us do, really. Momiosa won’t say what happened, but I know it has to do with us.”

Max can’t help the moan that leaves him as his head falls back. He _never_ wanted the girls to think that this was their fault.

“No no no!” Toast says as if reading his thoughts. She takes another step closer until she can look him in the eye. “We know that it’s not _because_ of us, even Cheedo gets that. We just know that it has to do _with_ us.”

Max nods. It doesn't make him feel any better.

“Just wanted to you to know that, no matter what, you’re special to us.” Toast shrugs and looks away, unable to hold his gaze anymore. “That we still love you.”

The tears stream hot down Max’s cheeks at her words. Toast closes the distance between them and gives Max a hug. She pulls away just as quick, before Max can even return the embrace, and is running back to the school. Max feels wetness on his neck where Toast has pressed into him and it kills him. He never wanted to hurt them.

Once the weekend hits, Max decides to bury himself in bus maintenance, lessening up the work he will need to do once term is over and giving his mind something else to concentrate on. Manual labor has always been an outlet for him; he hopes that it will help put his brain back in order this time too.

Max is lost in thought as he drains the motor oil and he almost doesn't hear it. He pauses and quirks his head before sliding out from under the bus. He stands silent, listening. Even Pit is sitting stock-still, ears pricked up in concentration. He’s about to get back to work, when he hears it again. The whimper-scream of a girl.

Max is off at a dead run before he is even aware of it.

Pit dashes off ahead and Max follows. He _knows_ that voice but isn't ready to acknowledge it, is afraid of what he will find at the end of the chase. He skids to a stop as he comes around the back corner of the gymnasium into the small clearing in the trees and brambles. He nearly trips over Pit who has stopped at the sight of strange people. She lets out a single bark and everyone looks up at them.

The scene before him makes Max’s blood churn.

Angharad is fretting over an unconscious Nux, his face covered in blood and with an obvious broken noise. Tears stream down her face as she is torn between caring for the helpless boy next to her and helping her sister. Capable is knocked to the ground, arms pinned above her head by Slit, and she is desperately trying to get away. He can see from here that she has a bloodied lip. Slit looks up at the newcomers and has a maniacal grin on his face. Capable takes the opportunity to spit at Slit, nailing him just below the eye.

“Don’t you take that shit from her, son!” calls a voice from the far side of the clearing and Slit returns his attention to Capable.

Max looks up towards the man and nearly sees red. Max knew he should have trusted his gut and looked harder, but he just figured it must be a common name. Didn't think something like that could follow him this far away from the city or crop up this long after. Max knows they were never able to determine who shot him, but Max saw.

Morsov. War Boy. Accomplice to murder.

Max takes steady steps towards the group. “Get the hell away from my daughter,” Max grits out between clenched teeth. Max watches as Slit scrambles away from Max’s murderous scowl and runs back to his father and two of his fellow War Boys. Their faces are familiar from Max’s time on the force but he doesn't remember their names.

Once free, Capable crawls her way back to Angharad and Nux. The boy is just starting to regain consciousness but is still disorientated.

“Well, well, well, look who we have here. Didn’t think I would see you again, Blood Bag.”

Max glares hard back at Morsov. He’s heard the term before, referencing what the people who antagonize War Boys are good for once they are no longer in the way, but it doesn't faze him. If anything, it seems to spur him on. Max places himself so that he is between the kids and the War Boys, happy to note that Pit leaves him to go sit next to girls and Nux. She never so much as looked at someone crossed-eyed, but has no doubt that she would stand her ground to protect her pack.

“Got yourself a new load of brats, do you? The last was a boy at least, wasn’t it?” Morsov looks past Max. “Not a very good lot if you ask me, especially not for where they’re from.”

Max takes another step closer but says nothing.

“Told Joe I could get him better, bring him someone that would give him a son. He didn't listen and got stuck with _them_ ,” Morsov spits out.

The venom in Morsov’s voice as he references the girls puts Max over. He can feel it, the rage and anger boiling up from his toes, ready to burst forth. Max doesn't know if he feels protective of the girls despite their parentage (and what Joe indirectly did to him) or if it is greater knowing that he is helping to save them from that life. Either way, he’d lay his life down for them if needed. He knows that now.

“Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Them,” Max murmurs with a deadly calm. He sees Morsov falter ever so slightly as he moves in closer. Max is only a few feet away when another voice breaks the silence.

“Gotta problem here?”

Everyone jumps and turns towards the corner of the building. Furiosa beelines it to the kids but Ace is striding towards them, gazing murderously at Morsov who takes another step back.

“N-no,” Morsov stutters. “No problem here, boss.”

Max quirks his head at that. He still has no idea about Ace’s past, but he gets a sneaking suspicion that Morsov does, and that it is not necessarily pleasant.

“Good. You were just leavin’, then?”

“Yep. Leaving.” Morsov pushes past Ace, his buddies and Slit following close behind and giving nervous glances behind them.

Ace looks at Furiosa, who gives him a nod, before he follows them out. “Let’s make sure you remember where to go,” he says sarcastically to their backs.

Max swears their pace picks up just the tiniest bit as they disappear around the corner. He turns back to where Furiosa is hugging each of the girls close, one head on either shoulder.

“Are you ok?” Furiosa asks frantically as she pulls the girls back and inspects them.

They both nod, even as Furiosa thumbs Capable’s split lip. They’re shaken up but ok.

“What about you?” Furiosa asks, squatting down so she is level with Nux.

Nux gives a tiny laugh and shrugs. “My noth hurth. Dithy when I moof.”

Furiosa gently cups the back of head and does a quick check on his eyes. She nods eventually and carefully helps Capable get Nux to his feet.

“Get him to the car. He’ll need to see a doctor.”

Max watches the scene before him, not sure where or how he belongs anymore. He wants to go comfort them, make sure with his own hands that they are all right, but he feels he’s lost whatever right to that he had. Max realizes now that harm could come to them, whether he is there or not. He stares at his feet for a long time, trying to decide what to do.

In the end, he turns quietly and slips away. He’s hurt them enough already, why would they want him back.

Max is halfway back to his cabin when he hears someone running up behind him.

“MAX!” Furiosa calls moments before slamming into him. She squeezes her arms around him so tight he can hardly breathe and buries her face in his neck. When he wraps his arms around her, he can feel just how hard she’s trembling and he holds her just as tight in return. They stand there, locked in an embrace for how long Max doesn't know. He just knows that the tangled knot in his chest is slowly unraveling the longer they’re together. Beyond the obvious gratitude, Max isn't sure where he stands with Furiosa after all this, but it’s so clear to him what he wants and maybe, just maybe, he can fix this.

“I’m sorry,” he eventually whispers into her hair. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Furiosa lets out a gasping laugh, gives him one last squeeze, and pulls back just enough to see his face. “Sorry? You saved them.” Furiosa pauses just long enough to catch his gaze and hold it. “You called them your _daughters_ ,” Furiosa answers fondly.

Max gives her a curious look. He honestly doesn't remember what he said, just the hot anger that burned in him. Maybe he did. Maybe seeing them in danger had made the decision for him, before he was even aware of it. And he does want it to be true, oh, how he wants it.

“If you still want it, they can be.” Furiosa says with her uncanny ability to know what is running through his mind. She lifts her flesh hand to cup his cheek and he leans into it.

Max nods against her hand, unable to form words. He afraid that if he speaks, he might wake up and find this was all a dream.

“We can talk more later?” Furiosa asks as she lets her hands slide down his arms and come to rest in his hands.

“Mmmhmm,” Max hums, nodding more and giving Furiosa a smile.

“Come on, then,” Furiosa says with a matching grin. “There’re some girls who want their dad.”

As Furiosa pulls him forward, Max feels a new heat blossom in his chest, a spark that speaks of happiness, love, and devotion. With it he knows will come hard and painful times, but the good and happy moments that happen in between are more than worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this little story. I hope everyone (especially you Owlship!) have enjoyed this. There's a brief epilogue after because I couldn't resist putting in a wee bit more fluff into this :)


	7. Epilogue

They’re exhausted after finally getting the last of Max’s possessions moved into the farmhouse. It had been a hectic couple of weeks between the end of school, Angharad’s graduation, and the move, but now they could relax. Once he had decided that _this_ was what he wanted and that he _could_ do it, everything else had fallen into place. Last night they had asked the girls (aka Cheedo) not to wake them up early unless it was an emergency.

Max skirts the edge of wakefulness, half lost in a dream and half hearing the real world around him. He can feel Furiosa pressed warmly along his back, arm curled softly around his chest, while listening to Cheedo getting into god knows what in the kitchen, but he can also still see the beach and ocean in front of him. Jessie and Sprog are down the beach, while Furiosa and girls are closer, just a few feet away from him. Jessie catches his eye. She gives him a happy smile and wave before her and sproglet meander further down the beach in the opposite direction. He’s never been particularly spiritual, but it feels like as much of an okay from the other world as he’s ever going to get, even if it’s just from the recesses of his own mind.

The bedroom door clicks open and Cheedo comes flying in.

“Mom! Dad!” she squeals. “Time to get up!”

Max takes a big breath, coming full aware as he does, and half rolls to look at Cheedo where she is standing at the foot of the bed. Despite the fact that the adoption paperwork is nowhere near complete, she still insists on calling them Mom and Dad. Neither of them mind really.

“We _need_ pancakes,” Cheedo explains with the direness only an eight-year-old can muster.

Max feels Furiosa rubs her eyes free of sleep as his eyes flick up to the door. Angharad is standing there, arms crossed with a resigned look on her face.

“Tried to tell her I could do it, but _apparently_ , you have be an adult to work the stove and I don’t count for another few months.”

Max smiles and Furiosa stifles a laugh.

“But since you’re up, family breakfast would be nice,” Angharad adds with her own smile pulling at her lips.

Max feels his body go into an involuntary stretch, then he sits up.

“If I’m making pancakes, I’ll need help,” he says to Cheedo. “Need someone reliable.” Max glances first to Furiosa then to Angharad with a look of worry on his face. “Think you’re my only hope,” Max says as he turns back to look at Cheedo.

Cheedo giggles and goes running from the room completely missing the eye rolls from both Furiosa and Angharad. He gets up, leaning over to give Furiosa a quick kiss, and walks out of the room, giving Angharad a friendly bump on her shoulder as he passes. He can hear the other girls screech and laugh from down the hall. 

Max joins the happy mayhem in the kitchen, counters already covered in flour and at least two eggs broken on the floor. Even though this is just the beginning of the cooking disaster known as Saturday Morning Breakfast, Max can’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again so much for reading, kudos-ing, and commenting!

**Author's Note:**

> In case anyone wants to know the girl's ages in this.  
> Angharad-17  
> Capable- 15  
> Toast- 13  
> Dag- 10  
> Cheedo- 8
> 
> Kudos, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated here or on my [Tumblr](http://yourdykeinshiningarmor.tumblr.com/). Thanks so much for reading!


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